'Murdered' tycoon's wife wants probe speeded up

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

UPDATED KUALA LUMPUR: The second wife of “murdered” Indian tycoon A Muthuraja has returned to Malaysia to pressure both the police and government to hasten investigations into her husband's case.

S Usharani, 24, submitted a memorandum to the Indian High Commission today which included her initial report to the commission in March this year. She also pressed the high commission to push the police and government into taking swifter action.

The memorandum was received by the Second Secretary Consular, Subhash Ramakrishna Pillai.

Usharani will also be handing over new evidence to the Kuala Langat police either later today or tomorrow. The evidence comprises photographs and documents that she had shown to the team of Bukit Aman officers who interrogated her in Chennai last week.

The photographs include that of Muthuraja and former lawyer N Pathmanabhan, who was recently charged with the murder of cosmetics tycoon Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.

The documents relate to a land deal in Kuala Langat in which Muthuraja was involved with Pathmanabhan before his disappearance in January this year.

According to Kapar MP S Manikavasagam, who accompanied Usharani to the high commission, the police had instructed her to submit this evidence in Malaysia.

“Why couldn't they have taken it with them when they left Chennai?” he asked. “Now she has to come all the way to Malaysia for this.”

According to him, the document held proof that one of the lawyer brothers suspected in Sosilawati's murder, was indirectly involved in the land deal. However, he declined to elaborate, saying that he didn't know the details.

Police too slow

Manikavasagam also called on the police to issue an official statement on Muthuraja's status.

"They say he's dead but they have shown no evidence nor have they officially informed Usharani of this," he said. “The Inspector-General of Police (Ismail Omar) should at least release a statement on whether Muthuraja is dead or alive. Usharani can take it from there.”

Manikavasagam said last month that he would leave the case to Usharani's lawyers after Selangor chief police officer Khalid Abu Bakar warned him not to interfere in police investigations.

When reminded of this, he retorted, “The police are moving too slowly! Pathmanabhan has only been charged with Sosilawati's murder but there are other cases involving him. The police should be playing a role here, not the MPs. I am only here to help her.”

Manikavasagam also questioned why the link between Sementa assemblyman Abdul Rahman Palil and at least one of the suspects in Sosilawati's murder was being overlooked.

“Abdul Rahman was a director in the same company as one of the suspects,” he said. “And one Mohd Firdaus Palil is also listed as a director. Why are they not being investigated?”

This is Usharani's third trip to Malaysia following her husband's disappearance. She will be here until the end of the week.

Ipoh born, Cambridge educated, Malaysia’s loss, Singapore’s gain

By Mariam Mokhtar

He did his parents proud, his teachers are equally elated, his birthplace is euphoric to claim he is one of them, and his country would have been ecstatic.

His name is Tan Zhongshan and he was born in Ipoh. He chose to read law at university because he said, “Being in the legal line gives you a chance to make changes that have a far-reaching effect.”

In June, Tan received a first–class honours in Bachelor of Arts (Law) at Queen’s College, Cambridge, one of the world’s topmost universities. Cambridge, England’s second oldest university, usually contends with Oxford for first place in the UK university league tables.

Tan excelled as the top student in his final-year law examinations, but he also won the “Slaughter and May” prize, awarded by the Law Faculty for the student with the best overall performance.

In addition, he managed to bag the Norton Rose Prize for Commercial Law, the Clifford Chance Prize for European Union Law and the Herbert Smith Prize for Conflict of Laws.

Tan distinguished himself and was a source of help to his fellow students, according to his tutor and the dean of Queen’s college, Dr. Martin Dixon.

Dr. Dixon said, ““He is probably the best Malaysian student I have seen in the last 10 years. He is the most able, dedicated and one of the most likeable students I have taught in more than 20 years at Cambridge. He works really hard, has great insight and intuition. He is a problem-solver, listens well and learns.”

However, the 23-year-old Tan shrugged off his accomplishments which he said was due to “consistent work and a detailed understanding of the subjects.”

Tan, who plays classical guitar, was modest about his success, “It was a pleasant surprise as it is hard to predict the end results.”

Sadly, this brilliant, young Malaysian will not be working in Malaysia.

Tan, who has been in Singapore since August, expects to complete his Bar examinations by the end of 2011 and said, “I will also join the Singapore Legal Service in January”.

After completing his A-levels at the Temasek Junior College, the Singapore Ministry of Education awarded him an Asean scholarship.

Tan will not be the first nor last Malaysian who we let slip through our fingers.

It makes many ordinary Malaysians quietly fill with rage that the policies of our government reward the mediocre or the ‘can-do’ types and ignore the best and the brightest. When will this madness end?

Our judiciary was one of the best in the region, but today, it is not fit for purpose.

Sadly, we have clowns and fools to dictate how our courts are run. The best comedy act was played out recently in the Teoh Beng Hock trial when Thai pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunand was cross-examined by presumably the best of the attorney general’s bunch of merry-men.

If that is how Malaysian lawmakers prefer to project their image to the world, then they really need their heads examined.

We are haemorrhaging our best talent to countries that receive them with open arms. Record numbers of Malaysians are leaving – doctors, surgeons, nurses, lawyers, accountants, lecturers, engineers, quantity surveyors. We are experiencing the biggest exodus in our 53-year history.

It is estimated that there are over 1 million Malaysians living and working abroad, many of whom are highly qualified personnel.

If the government thinks that it is only the non-Malays who are leaving then they are wrong. If Malays are also leaving in large numbers then it should be obvious (which it is presumably to the ordinary man in the street but not to our government) that preferential treatment for Malays is not a major pull nor conducive to the normal thinking person.

What other countries do is to offer Malaysians opportunities – something which is not available, to the majority of Malaysians, of whichever racial origin. Our government fails to realise that people need to feel appreciated and thrive in conditions which stimulate personal development.

Government interference in the things that affect the personal lives of its citizens is what has kept many overseas Malaysians away. At the end of the day, most people value the things that have to do with their quality of life (not just for themselves but especially for their families), the laws, bureaucracy and tax.

Apart from having the best brains, those who left are probably the more assertive ones, the highly ambitious people who would have made good mentors, able and strong leaders. Their absence from our system only weakens us, as a nation.

Will these people return if the ISA is around? No. These people would probably find living in Malaysia under such conditions, like treading on eggshells.

How about corruption, nepotism, cronyism, lack of transparency, limited civil service and educational opportunities, questionable performance-based promotion, lack of freedom of worship, expression and speech, unfair preferential housing, fear for their personal safety and lack of open tenders for government contracts?

These are some of the things that are due for immediate review, but only if Najib is serious about reversing the brain-drain and only if he wants to improve Malaysia’s economy and reputation.

At a time when the country needs to tighten its belt and take effective measures to build a quality nation based on its human capital, Najib seems to build pointless monuments in mega-projects. Why not channel the funds and invest in its best resource – its people?

Malaysia is now paying the price for its crippling policies which our government feels unable, incapable or fearful of changing.

Najib recently warned us about the dangers of not embracing change. He is right. And we are all for it.

Forget about directing Talent Corporation to search for these ‘overseas’ Malaysians. If Najib refuses to make the all-important changes in the country, they will not be swayed.

So when will he legislate for change?

And one last thing: We congratulate Ipoh-born Tan Zhongshan on his outstanding achievements and wish him a bright future.

Politics Must Be Based On Thoughts And Ideas - Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin urged leaders and members to embrace change to strengthen Umno, the largest party for the Malays.

He said politics should be based on thoughts and ideas as they were no longer limited to survival of the fittest but involve a battle of wits.

"Those who challenge our political ideology must be defeated through sharp intellect and superior arguments and not by relying on executive power," he said at Umno Youth general assembly at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here Wednesday.

Former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was also present at the assembly attended by 795 delegates.

In his policy address, Khairy stressed that Umno Youth had to accept the young with an open mind as they were more critical.

"We have to practice an inclusive culture that recognises the participation of youths and not top-to-down politics.

"Youths have their own idealism and views. To win them over, we have to involve them in national development."

He said young voters would account for 80 percent or almost 3mil of new voters at the next general election and their votes would increase from 41 percent to 49 percent.

Some 75 percent of young people who qualified to vote plan to exercise that right in the next general election.

Research also showed that 62 percent of the young voters were fence sitters who would cast their votes based on party and candidate.

"We must accept the fact that young voters are able to distinguish between mere rhetoric and genuine service, between elaborate pretensions and sincere efforts."

He said they did not appreciate politics based on of rhetoric, demonstration, lodging of police reports and urging the arrest of those who did not share their political beliefs.

"Although such politics may still be appropriate in certain context. In all likelihood, it will only drive them further away from us.

"The new era also demands that we shape a youth leadership that is more open and progressive, respected by all levels of society, across race and religion.

"This is consistent with the moderate brand of politics or siyasah wasatiyyah practised by the Umno president himself.

Khairy said the young hope that Umno would be more open and guide them to avoid making mistakes.

"Youth members are not motivated by positions, power or projects but are the bearers of hope, defenders of the land, catalysts of spirit and courage and loyal knights.

"The New Economic Model does not sideline the Malay agenda. What it does is update the implementation methods to overcome the weaknesses of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

He added the Umno Youth struggle was towards real progress and development and not merely to protect the special rights and privileges of the Malays.

Speaking to reporters later, Khairy said the government should amend the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) so that undergraduates could be active in politics.

He said this was because local undergraduates questioned why their foreign counterparts (members of Umno Clubs) were allowed to speak at the general assembly while they were barred.

When pointed out that his stand was against the government decision, Khairy said was not something easy to do.

"When you are in a position of leadership, you must lead and say what you want and hope that the young listen and support change."

He said amendment to AUKU did not mean that all undergraduates would be involved in politics as not all are interested in politics.

Futile to ban newspapers, says Najib

The Sun
by Zakiah Koya

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 19, 2010): The prime minister believes that press freedom is crucial to national development. As such, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said banning newspapers would be counter-productive and a futile exercise.

"Malaysia’s position is that we support press freedom and a responsible press. Without free media, the world cannot be as integrated as it is today.

"Restricting freedom and holding back globalisation in any way that would be counter-productive and a futile exercise – banning newspapers would be essentially futile,– Najib said when closing The Creation of a Global Citizen: Media Liberalisation and New Political Realities forum today, held ahead of the Umno annual general assembly which starts on Thursday.

The forum was attended by 22 political parties from 21 countries and Umno clubs.

Najib said it was vital to ensure that the media carried and amplified the voices of reason. "Such voices must be carried in much more assertive manner – responsible voices must be louder."

Defining "global citizens" as "individuals who are part of a community but have a sense that they are bigger and broader than their own town and nation", Najib said the main challenge facing global citizens was the rise of extremists which had managed to come together due to the advance of internet and information technology.

"Whether we like it or not, IT has made us all global ctizens," said Najib, stressing that the problem was not between different religions but "between extremists of different faiths".

"What we need to do as a globalised solution, is to re-isolate the extremists of all faiths. Make voices of the moderates to be louder in the media and the Internet, with voices of leaders of different faith.

"If we allow extremists to dictate, the outcome is that we will not resolve the situation," he said.

He also said that globalised trade and commerce had tied economies so close together that "a crisis anywhere is a crisis everywhere".

"Globalised travel has brought about globalised disease and globalised environment degradation. Misinformation, lies and hatred have never spread more quickly and been more damaging than ever before," he said.

"As long as there is open democracy, there is freedom of the press – of course with limitations – as long as the limitations are not suffocating.

"We cannot be too judgmental in what is good and what is bad for the country – as long as the outcome is a nation that is progressing and the people are well off.

"It is tempting to talk about the good old days when life was simpler but the option is to move forward and face the challenges," he said.

Press freedom: How low can we go?

If you thought Malaysia’s press freedom ranking was already bad, think again.
Singapore has surpassed Malaysia in the latest RSF global ranking for 2010. Singapore! Now Singapore may have made great strides in terms of material progress but press freedom is not exactly its forte.

Singapore is now ranked 136th (133rd in 2009) – ahead of Malaysia’s 141st (131st in 2009). That about the same as our football Fifa ranking of 144th place!  What else do you expect when even a cartoonist can be arrested?
The ‘democratic’ nation of Brunei, at 142nd, is now breathing down our necks. 
Timor-Leste remains the freest in Asean at 93rd (but down from 72nd), followed by Indonesia at 117th and Cambodia at 128th.
Do you know, almost all Asean nations dropped in their ranking. Has the region taken a repressive turn for the worse?
The countries with the freest press are Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland in joint top spot.

Najib: Hey Big (su)Spender

Oddly enough, Najib seems to fit right into this picture:Reading the massive spending the Najib administration has recklessly embarked on, I’m running out of eyes to pop out. 3 big ones:
1) TMI:

The Najib administration revealed today that it had allocated a whopping RM18.14 billion for the Prime Minister’s Department for the year 2011, almost double the RM10.2 billion this year.
The allocation amounts to 8.55 per cent out of the RM212 billion Budget 2011.

O.O Doubled in just a year. And next year? RM 30 billion? For one department?
One single man controlling almost 10% of our entire national budget. Does that seem right to you?
2) MK:

Government data reveals that agencies and projects under Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala’s (below) hand will cost the rakyat RM12.6 billion over the next two years.
Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said that based on the latest operating and development expenditure documents released last Friday, the sum was akin to that required to run a full government ministry.

Now hold on one damn minute here. Isn’t Idris Jala’s job to make the government more efficient?!?
I think if you spent about 0.1 percent (RM 12.6 million say) on the right people, and the other 99.9 % (ironically enough, if you round that up, that’s the same figure: RM 12.6 billion) on actually improving the lives of the rakyat instead of enriching consultants, maybe you actually make a bloody difference for a change.
The only real consulting taking place here is in the first three letters of ‘consulting’. Rest assured that in exchange for some very fancy powerpoint presentations, a few key government officials are getting kickbacks the likes of which even Malaysia has probably never seen.
3. MK:

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s official travel expenditure and that of his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin has this year ballooned by 75.2 percent from 2008′s figures.
In a written reply yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz stated that the total of cost of 1,102 officers who had accompanied Najib and Muhyiddin on their official trips since 2008 have cost a staggering RM21.45 million.

This may not be in the billions, but it shows a very clear trend of excessive spending - how much do you wanna bet Bik Mama has something to do with this?

*

In summary, we are poised to spend RM 213 billion next year, but are set to only earn RM 165 billion – adding another RM 50 billion to our existing deficit O.O
I don’t think words can describe just how incredibly insane all this is.
When faced with burning criticism regarding his phallic tower of vanity, all Najib could do stammer like a doofus and say was “Look, it wasn’t my idea ok?”
What an idiot. You think he’d be singing the same tune if all that criticism was praise?
“It was PNB’s idea” ?? Wtf. Is PNB the finance minister? Is PNB the chief executive of the country? TAKE SOME DAMNED RESPONSIBILITY.
Sigh. This post is too long already, and it’s just as well. I don’t think I can handle any more billions.
Big spender indeed. Or who knows? Maybe he’s more of a bit (su)spender:

Deadly violence rocks Pakistan city

At least 32 people have been killed in shootouts in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, police have said.

In the deadliest attack on Tuesday, at least 13 people were shot dead when six armed men on motorbikes opened fire in the Shershah Kabari market.

"The attackers came on motorcycles and started indiscriminate firing," Raja Riyasat, a police official, told the AFP news agency.

Several others were injured and Arif Razzaq, a second police official, said the death toll may rise as some of the wounded were in critical condition.

Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, said the scene of the attack was a scrap market normally frequented by labourers from other parts of the country.

"This would have been a busy area because in Pakistan, scrap dealers make a lot of money," he said. "It's a country where everyone cannot afford to buy brand new automobile parts."

He said sporadic gunfights were ongoing in different parts of the city and had resulted 19 more deaths.

Election violence

About 60 people have been killed in Karachi since Saturday when violence erupted ahead of a by-election to replace a provincial legislator murdered in August.

It was not clear whether Tuesday's attacks were related to that violence.

Our correspondent said the recent unrest stemmed from a political power struggle.

"For the last few months, various political parties have been battling for control of Karachi.

"The Awami National Party and MQM [Muttahida Qaumi Movement] are fighting what appears to be a turf war," he said. The Awami National Party is MQM's main rival for political posts and control of the city.

"The people of Karachi have been held hostage by these political groups."

The MQM, which is the dominant political force in Karachi, has stepped up pressure on the government to stem the last days' violence, saying its workers were among those killed.

Some sources said the MQM threatened over the weekend to pull out of the federal coalition government with the Pakistan People's Party to protest the violence.

The move, which party sources say was put "on hold" on assurances of strong action to contain the violence, could lead to the government losing its National Assembly majority, or even its downfall if the MQM sides with the opposition.

Karachi has long been plagued by political and ethnic violence and there is concern that the city is being used as a haven for the Taliban. Some violence in the city is also linked to criminal gangs.

At the same time, Karachi is the commercial capital of Pakistan. It generates 68 per cent of the government's revenue and 25 per cent of Pakistan's gross domestic product.

Source:Al Jazeera and agencies

Court visits Aminulrasyid's death scene

Photos : Malay-sian police murder Indian youth Asogan (24) in Police lock-up. A la Kugan injuries.

   

Did the Budget 2011 address the widening income gap?

Senator Dr. S Ramakrishnan,

The much awaited budget 2011 was tabled in parliament on Friday 15th Oct, 2010 with the promise that we are on the path of transformation. Earlier the 10th Malaysian 5 years plan was launched with specific target of attaining high income economy. With all the high growth from 1990 to 2007, the middle 40% and the bottom 40% of household’s income level recorded only a moderate growth.

A World Bank study found that the wage trend in Malaysia has recorded only an annual 2.6% growth during the past 10 years. A study on wages initiated by the Human Resources Ministry reveals that almost 34% of about 1.3 million workers in the country still earn less than RM700 a month. Malaysia’s gini coefficient grew marginally from .456 in 1987 to .459 in 1997 but dropped slightly to .441 in 2007. Malaysia is 101th out of 127 countries in terms of gini coefficient. Looks like Malaysians are caught in the low income trap unless some drastic step is taken.

Did the budget 2011 outline any strategies to uplift the lower income group to higher? Minimum wages is once again postponed and left with the wages consultative council. Looks like the government really dragging its feet on minimum wages. No political will due to the pressure from Malaysian employer’s federation not to yield to workers demand. Only security guards got a confirmation of minimum wages between RM 500 to RM700 that is below hardcore poverty limit of RM720. How to increase productivity of lower wage earners?

As for education, funds are allotted to principals of high performance schools. How is high performance measured when UPSR and PMR are converted to school based examinations? The prime minister has pleased his wife with his generous allocation of RM111 million to PERMATA, his wife’s pet project. How inclusive is PERMATA in recruiting staffs and students of all races be in estates, squatters, new villages or kampong is yet to know. RM250 million for Chinese, Tamil, missionary and Religious school but no details are given. The devil is in the details. RM576 allocated to develop teachers competency. Billions were spent to teach mathematics and science in English. But after 7 years the whole project shelved. A further RM 213 million allocated to enhance BM proficiency and recruit 375 UK and Australian teachers to teach English. All these measures will upgrade the quality of education is yet to be seen.

Talent attraction measures are all about increasing the number of PhDs and upgrading lecturers and implementing skill programs. All these initiatives must be market driven to meet the market needs. It is important to reevaluate the effectiveness and results of all the various programs implemented and conducted in the past years. Lots of money was already spent on training programs. Graduates upon completing university studies need retraining. We need state of art training, forward looking attitudes and proactive initiatives. Real quality researches are not promoted in Budget 2011. Why not develop and nurture local talents. If only the government remove the racially colored glasses they can see talents within the country in estates, urban squatters and new villages. 50% of engineers and doctors in Singapore are from Malaysia. All the government has to do is provide scholarships to all students who excel in their public examinations. Gave them equal opportunity and promoted them fairly while in government service. There will be abundant of talent.

Having said all these, this budget is like any other earlier budget about awarding projects. Construction industry as usual is the main beneficiary. Tallest building and many more projects awarded to GLCs and cronies but nothing to ordinary SMEs and small time businesses. No innovative ideas to reduce traffic jams besides MRTs to be completed in 10 years time. This budget doesn’t seem to be transformational and evolutionary nor is it 1Malaysia in character. It’s all rhetoric with little substance to reduce the income gap.